This invention relates to an electric connection box used for interconnection of wire harnesses or the like, and more particularly to an improved drain construction of such an electric connection box.
Conventionally, drain ports are provided in a reverse cover of an electric connection box used in an engine room. FIG. 4 shows one such example. An electric connection box body 1 has a front cover 2 and a reverse cover 3 placed on opposite sides thereof. A plurality of drain ports 4 are formed through the reverse cover 3. A connector 5 connects electric elements such as a fuse, a relay and so on. Reference numeral 6 denotes an electricity-leading hole.
In such a drain construction, when a vehicle is running on a bad road or on a rainy day, water droplets pass through the drain ports 4 towards the body 1 because of water splashing, or the like, from the underside of the vehicle, causing rust of terminals of a connector and circuit conductors within the electric connection box body 1, and also causing leakage, thus causing degradation of performance.
In order to improve such a situation, there has been proposed a construction (Japanese Laid-Open (Kokai) Utility Model Application No. 131519/88) in which, as shown in FIG. 5, a wall portion 8 is provided in opposed relation to a drain port 4 through a bottom wall 3a of a reverse cover 3, with an opening 7 provided between the two, thereby preventing water splashes or the like from intruding directly through the drain port 4.
However, water may still intrude through the opening 7, as indicated by the arrows, even if the wall portion 8 closing the drain port 4 in the reverse cover 3 is provided. Particularly when washing a vehicle with water at high pressure, this tendency is conspicuous. It would be desirable to develop a drain construction capable of shutting off water applied from the exterior.